Heshan and Mineka stole the limelight at South Asia Swimming C’ships

Leslie FERNANDO

SWIMMING: Heshan Unamboowe, Sri Lanka’s swimming captain and Mineka Karunaratne performed the best in the men’s and women’s open swimming events at the six day South Asia Swimming and Water polo Championships conducted by Pakistan Swimming Federation in conjunction with the Asia Swimming Federation held at the Jinnah Sports Complex Swimming Pool in Islamabad, Pakistan from September 3 to 8.

Sri Lankan swimmers return home with a bag of medals 45 altogether in the men’s and women’s open and boys and girls age group under-14. Indeed a creditable achievement by the 39 member swimming squad, 22 men and boy’s 18 women and girls.

Trinity College swimmer Heshan Unamboowe was the ‘star’ swimmer amongst the men’s swimmers. He won 2 gold in the 200 metres free style 2:02:11 secs 50 metres free style open 24.73.

He set new national records in both these two events. Heshan went on to prove his class bagging silver medals in the 200 m back stroke, 50 m back stroke, 200 m individual medley and 100 m back stroke.

He also was greatly responsible for Sri Lanka’s two silver medals in the 4 x 200 m freestyle and 100 m medly relay and also a bronze medal in the 4 x 100 m freestyle relay.

The 15 year old Heshan’s contribution to Sri Lanka swimming-winning medals has been a habit.

He has brought laurels to the country at Asia Pacific Age Group Championships held in Bangkok and Asian Age Group Swimming Championships held in Indonesia in 2005 and 2006 winning two gold medals, two silver medals and one bronze medal.

He is certainly our golden boy in swimming and much is expected from him in the future international meets.

Mineka yet another ‘star’

Mineka Karunaratne became the first women swimmer to win gold medals in a major international meet held abroad and also conducted by recognised association affiliated to FINA - world controlling body for aquatic sports.

For Mineka it was a memorable meet, making her debut in an major international meet and winning 2 gold medals and 2 silver medals and also having a big hand in the 4 x 100 m women open medley relay a bronze for Sri Lanka.

The 15 year old Mineka Form 5 student of Asian International School brought pride to her country winning a gold each in the 100 metres breast stroke - 1.19.95 secs and 50 metres breast stroke 36.00 secs, she won a silver in the 200 metres breast stroke 2.56.51 secs and was a key member of the womens’s open 4 x 100 metres medley relay ‘quartet’ winning a silver medal.

She attributed her success due to daily hard training and maintaining one hundred percent fitness. Mineka added that she is thankful to her coach Julian Bolling who has motivated and guided well up todate. Her main ambition is to win more models at SAF Games, APAGS,and Asian Games.

Mineka added her both parents has given her lot of encouragement to go ahead in swimming. The other swimmer to win a gold medal was Shehani Mediwaka of Ladies College in the girls under-1450 metres breast stroke ‘clocking’ 37.70 secs. She also won a bronze in the 100 m breast stroke - 1.25.07 secs.

The other silver and bronze medals winners were: Mens and boys under - 14-Dilina Dissanayake, Issac Prins, Chanaka Malimbada, M. Tuan Nabeel Dole, Dasun Perera (of Royal College), Punhasa Senanayake, Pathum Edirisinghe, Sakitha Wickremaratne, Praneeth Udumalgala, Yahan Samarajeewa, Samantha Priyadarshana, Gayan Samarakoon, Shasika Perera, Chanuka Wickremasinghe.

Women and girls: Chamari Kudabalage, Gihara Amarasinghe, Miniruwani Samarakoon, Hansani Weerathunga, Methma Jayawardena, Madhavee Weerathunga Udari Mendis, Dehara Katipearchchi, Sunethra Wijeratne, Charani Perera, Mihiri Kandanarachchi,.

Our coaches Julian Bolling (Director Coaching), Ruwan Manawadu, Mahi Chandralal, Nishantha Kumarapperuma and Nishantha Perera should be commended for their great effort for Sri Lanka swimmers success.

Now the Sri Lanka Aquatic Sports Union should plan well to continue with the swimming squad who participated in Pakistan for future international meets thus holding trials to pick swimmers for various meets.

The swimmers should be absorbed into training pool under their respective coaches along with the national swimming coach.

It was a credit for Sri Lanka as Pakistan Swimming Federation got the services Padmasiri Punchihewa, Sunil Ratnayake, Ajantha Silva, H. H. Chulasiri to officiate at the swimming events. Meanwhile Farid Noor Ameen officiated as a key water polo referee.

Sri Lanka Waterpolo team comprising Rajitha Warnapura (captain), Yasiru Ranaraja Awnee Razak, Dhanushka Saram, Lasitha Perera, Z. Maffaz, D. C. de Silva, Shivane Wijerathnam, B. A. C. A. Perera, Bilal Hassan, Tissa Sri Chandrasekera, S. J. S. Silva, Zaman Ali put up a splendid performances to win the first ever medal, a silver at the Waterpolo Tournament.

Sri Lanka lost the first match to India but in the other game beat Pakistan 5-3 to bag the Silver. India won the title, Pakistan the bronze. Our players played a grand game against Pakistan. Dhanushka Saram (1),Bilal Hassan and Lasitha Perera scored two goals each.

Mahinda Liyanage was the coach while Farid Noor Ameen, water polo manager.

It is up SLASU go ahead with the youthful water polo side and make arrangements to play matches against the Indian State teams regularly to gain further experience. Shehan de Alwis, Overall manager and swimming manager managed Sri Lanka contingent of 52 members efficiently. Lady Chaperon Chintha Ruwanpathirana also did her job well.

It was indeed happy experience for the writer who completed his 50th foreign sports coverage for Daily News and Sunday Observer.